Welcome to Barcelona

You will be Robbed!

1. The Ronaldinho. Friendly guy comes over, sticks out his hand. Tourist shakes it and the guy jokingly pretends to “tackle” the tourist, football style. The startled tourist doesn’t notice guys hand in his back pocket. Typically the guy just throws the wallet on the ground where his buddy picks it up. Game over.

2. Ooops I dropped my phone. Tourist on the metro, guy drops his mobile on the ground. Helpful tourist bends over to pick it up, wallet gone.

3. Sign my petition. Several people come up to tourist with a clipboard asking them to sign a petition. Others arrive, creating a fuss. Tourist distracted, wallet gone.

4. Coffee table magic. Guy comes over to tourists sitting at a cafe. Tries to sell CD’s or flowers or ask directions on a map. When he leaves, the phone/wallet that was on the table goes with him.

Danger areas: The old city and gothic quarter are infested, Montjuic too. The metro (especially the yellow line) is also problematic. Don’t assume that museums are safe; we have heard of incidents in the Aquarium and the shop at the Camp Nou. Robbers often target those who have had a few drinks, so pay particular attention at night and strongly consider leaving everything of value in your hotel.

What to do when it happens:
Do try to recover your stuff but don’t use violence, Spanish law will not be on your side.

Please please do report it to the Police. Reporting is a pain but the more that report the better. Police stations are at Nou de la Rambla and under Plaça Catalunya. You’ll see the queues of tourists at the door. Your hotel will have the details (they are well used to it).

Don’t know if it’s mentioned elsewhere as a technique that’s used by thieves in Barcelona but here’s how I was robbed.
I was with a group of 8 people on the subway and we disembarked at one of the main city centre stations. As myself and one of the group were going up the escalators a guy pushed in between us and then stood right in front of us. I instinctively patted the pocket where my wallet was. Big mistake.
When we got to the top of the escalators this guy dropped his “ticket” and spread his legs and armms out bending over to pick it up. Of course this meant that everyone travelling on the escalator, including his accomplices, piled into each other for a couple of seconds. He then stood up and left the station with another couple of Arab guys and girls. I knew straight away what had just happened and reached down to my pocket. Wallet gone. Myself and the three guys I was with took off after them and we spotted the guy who had dropped his ticket. He ran but we caught him. He didn’t have the wallet and we were going to give him a hiding when a car screeched up behind us and 5 or 6 guys got out and made for us. We ran and that was that. Still regret that we didn’t give him a few digs at least.
Great city but really seedy late at night.

Indeed! Loud, looking like you don’t know where you’re going, probably drunk, wearing sandals and shorts, you will get robbed in Barcelona. Try fitting in! I lived in BCN for three years as an ex-pat and was never robbed once. Never even attempted.

Fair play to you boss. A number of my friends have been robbed in Barca, as described above, including a garda. Phones, wallets have been taken.Fair play to you for publicising it, its a chronic problem there. It’s still one of my favourite cities but you should be paranoid about getting robbed there, as you’re suggesting. I’ve warned people in advance and they’ve still been robbed!

Everything they say about Barcelon is true. My husband, brother in lawy and twp of my friends were robbed as follows:

1. A man dropped his keys at top of excalator in metro. While my husband, who was behind him was falling over him, his accomplise stole his wallet.
2. My brother in law’s car was flagged down by thieves who had punctured the tyre of his car. While they were pretending to help him, they robbed his car.
3.

2. My friends son who is a professional sportsman, had his wallet stolen from his tray while he was carrying his foot from the counter in a restuarant to his table. He has travelled the world and had never had anything stolen befor or since

Put your personal belongings in your socks eg cash notes, cards and phone. Keep coins in your pocket in your wallet. If they rob you they will get a couple of euros. Also zipped inner pockets are the way to go.

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